Monarda plant named ‘Berry Taffy’

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct cultivar of ornamental cultivar of hybrid ornamental Bee Balm plant named  Monarda  ‘Berry Taffy’ with deep-green, highly-glossy, powdery mildew-tolerant foliage that emerges with moderate to strong anthocyanin blushing and mature to deep green and flower heads of hot raspberry-pink flowers. The bracts subtending inflorescences have deep reddish and wine coloration. The plant habit is compact and winter-hardy, useful in the landscape as a specimen, en masse, or as a containerized plant.

Botanical designation and cultivar denomination:

Botanical classification: Monarda hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Berry Taffy’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(B)(6)

The first public disclosure of the claimed plant, in the form of a sale, was made by Walters Gardens, Inc. on Jun. 29, 2020. Prior to that, on Feb. 1, 2020 the claimed plant was displayed with a non-enabling photograph and brief description in a website operated by Walters Gardens, Inc., and on May 20, 2020 as a non-enabling photograph and brief description in the 2020-2021 Catalog by Walters Gardens, Inc., who obtained the plant and all information relating thereto, from the inventor. No plants of Monarda ‘Berry Taffy’ have been sold, in this country or anywhere in the world, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made more than one year prior the filing date of this application, and such sale or disclosure within one year was either derived directly or indirectly from the inventor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct cultivar of Bee Balm, botanically known as Monarda ‘Berry Taffy’, and hereinafter also referred to solely by the cultivar ‘Berry Taffy’ or the “new plant.” Monarda ‘Berry Taffy’ was the result of a controlled pollination in the summer of Jul. 24, 2014 in trial garden at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA. The female parent is a proprietary, unnamed, unreleased hybrid known as 12-27-8 and the specific male parent is a proprietary, unnamed, unreleased hybrid known as 12-59-12. The new plant was separated out for further evaluation in the summer of 2016 in the full sun trial gardens of the same nursery and assigned the breeder code 14-17-7. The new plant is the result of a planned breeding program of the inventor to produce new colors of flowers with superior mildew resistance, and improved compact habit. The new plant has been asexually propagated since 2016 by stem cuttings at the same nursery in the greenhouses in Zeeland, Mich., and the subsequent generations of asexually propagated plants found to be stable and identical to the original selection.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Monarda ‘Berry Taffy’ is unique from its parents and all other Bee Balm plants known to the inventor. The nearest comparison cultivars known to the inventor are ‘Bubblegum Blast’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,497, ‘Rockin' Raspberry’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,752, ‘Grape Gumball’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,498 and ‘Electric Neon Pink’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,347. ‘Bubblegum Blast’ has lighter hot pink flowers and the habit is significantly taller. ‘Rockin' Raspberry’ has a taller habit with similar anthocyanin pigmented foliage and the flowers are deep raspberry-purple. ‘Grape Gumball’ has a taller habit with similar anthocyanin pigmented foliage and the flowers are vibrant magenta. Both ‘Rockin' Raspberry’ and ‘Grape Gumball’ are later blooming. ‘Electric Neon Pink’ has flowers of a dark neon-pink color and is comparatively taller in habit.

The female parent is more spreading and taller in habit than the new plant and has deeper reddish flowers. The male parent has a shorter habit and the flowers are lighter pink colored.

Monarda ‘Berry Taffy’ is distinct from all Bee Balm plants known to the inventor. The following are traits of the new plant that in combination distinguish it from all other Bee Balm known to the inventor:

-   -   1. Deep-green, moderately-glossy, powdery mildew-tolerant         foliage;     -   2. Short, compact, clumping, winter-hardy habit;     -   3. Compact, hot raspberry-pink flowers for a long period         beginning late spring;     -   4. Bracts subtending inflorescences with deep reddish and wine         coloration;     -   5. New leaves show a moderate to strong anthocyanin blush;     -   6. Flowering in dense verticils.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the unique traits of Monarda ‘Berry Taffy’ and the overall appearance of the plant at three-years-old in the full sun trial garden of a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Variation in ambient light spectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

FIG. 1 shows the habit of the new plant in full flower.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flower of the new plant.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. Monarda ‘Berry Taffy’ has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different growing environments such as temperature, light, fertility, soil pH, moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are based on two-year-old greenhouse grown plants at a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental fertilizer and water as needed.

-   Botanical classification: Monarda hybrid; -   Parentage: The female (seed) parent is 12-27-8, an unreleased     proprietary hybrid; the male (pollen) parent is 12-59-12, an     unreleased, proprietary hybrid; -   Plant habit: Hardy herbaceous perennial, compact, producing multiple     stems spreading by short rhizomes near the base of the stems;     foliage up to 38.0 cm tall, flowering to 40.0 cm tall and 43.0 cm     wide; flowering begins late spring in Michigan and continuing for     about 5 weeks; -   Propagation: Stem cuttings; -   Time to produce finished crop in 3.8 liter pots: About 7 to 9 weeks;     moderate rate of growth; -   Root: Fine, fibrous and freely branching; color creamy white to tan     depending on soil type; -   Leaves: Simple; lanceolate; opposite; margin serrated and ciliolate;     puberulent above and below; highly lustrous adaxial, matte to     slightly lustrous abaxial; narrowly acute apex; cordate to rounded     base; to about 8.0 cm long and 3.0 cm wide, average about 6.2 cm     long and 2.3 cm wide; -   Leaf color: Young expanding leaves adaxial nearest RHS 137A, abaxial     between RHS 147B and RHS 146A; older leaves adaxial blend between     RHS N189A and RHS NN137A, abaxial nearest RHS NN137C; new leaves     show a moderate to strong anthocyanin blush of nearest RHS 187A on     adaxial surface; -   Foliage Fragrance: pleasant lemony-herbal; -   Veins: Pinnate; glabrous and slightly sunken adaxial, pubescent and     costate abaxial; -   Vein color: Adaxial midrib nearest RHS 195B with light blush of     nearest RHS N186C, lateral pinnate veins and secondary veins between     RHS N189A and RHS NN137A; abaxial midrib nearest RHS 145C with     lateral pinnate veins nearest RHS 146D and secondary veins nearest     RHS NN137A; -   Petiole: Pubescent, slightly concaved above; to about 7.0 mm long     and 2.0 mm across at base; -   Petiole color: Adaxial nearest RHS N186C and abaxial nearest RHS     146D with a slight blush of nearest RHS N186C; -   Stems: Quadrangular; puberulent; about 3.0 mm across at base; about     40 per plant; naturally branched at upper nodes; average 2.2 cm     between nodes greater distally; 8 to 10 nodes per stem; average     length about 22 cm; -   Stem color: Nearest RHS 146C with faint anthocyanin expression in     high light; -   Flowers: Single labiate flowers arranged in mostly terminal     verticils forming globular head about 7.8 cm across and 4.7 cm tall,     opening from the center and progressing outwardly and down; attitude     outwardly to upwardly; individual flowers to about 43.0 mm long to     exserted stigma, 24.0 mm tall and about 8.0 mm across; individual     flowers persisting about 5 days in Michigan; numerous, about 200     flowers per terminal head, fewer per axillary head; -   Flower fragrance: Moderately spicy; -   Buds one to two days prior to opening: Narrowly oblanceolate,     arcuate downward; about 23.0 mm long and 3.0 mm across and 12.0 mm     tall; -   Bud color: Basal 5.0 mm nearest RHS NN155C, distal ventral portion     nearest RHS 64B, distal dorsal region between RHS 61A and RHS 64A; -   Petals: Bilabiate; arcuate downward; basal 23.0 mm fused into tube;     split in two in the distal 15.0 mm; abaxial glandular to puberulent,     adaxial glabrous; self-cleaning; -   Upper labium: Rolled in middle portion about 15.0 mm long from     fusion to apex, 3.0 mm tall, 2.5 mm across at base, about 4.0 mm     across in middle when flattened; lanceolate with apex emarginate     with three lobes about 1.0 mm long; -   Lower labium: About 16.0 mm long from fusion to apex, apex     comprising three lobes including two side lobes about 1.0 mm long     and 2.0 mm across with rounded apex, center lobe about 4.0 mm long     with emarginate apex in the distal 0.5 mm; -   Petal color: Upper labium abaxial surface between RHS 61B and RHS     64A, adaxial surface between RHS 67A and RHS 67B; lower labium     abaxial surface nearest between RHS 64B and RHS 64A, adaxial between     RHS 64A and RHS 71B; corolla tube abaxial basal 5.0 mm nearest RHS     NN155C, and distally between RHS 64C and RHS 64B, adaxial tube basal     5.0 mm nearest RHS NN155D and distally between RHS 70D and RHS 71D; -   Androecium: Two;     -   -   Filaments.—Two; curved downward; adnate the inner corolla             tube in the basal 18.0 mm and free in the distal 20.0 mm;             about 0.5 mm diameter; color dorsal distally nearest RHS             NN74D, middle dorsal portion nearest RHS 75D, basal dorsal             and adnate portion nearest RHS N155B, and entire ventral             portion nearest RHS N155B.         -   Anther.—Oblong elliptic, dorsifixed, longitudinal; 2.5 mm             long by 1.0 mm wide; color nearest RHS 70A.         -   Pollen.—Abundant, elliptic to globose, less than 0.1 mm;             color nearest RHS 11B. -   Gynoecium: One; superior; about 41.0 mm long; -   Pistil: One per flower; protruding about 7.0 mm beyond upper labium     when mature; -   Style: About 38.0 mm long and less than 0.5 mm diameter; arcuate     along upper labium; color nearest RHS 70A in distal 5.0 mm     transitioning to nearest RHS NN155D in middle and basal portion; -   Stigma: Unevenly bifid in the distal 2.0 mm with one portion 1.0 mm     and the other 2.0 mm long, about 0.2 mm in diameter; color nearest     RHS 71A; -   Ovary: Conical; about 1.0 mm tall by 0.7 mm across; color nearest     RHS 150D; -   Calyx: Tubular; consisting of five fused sepals; about 11.0 mm long     and 2.5 mm diameter at apex; -   Sepals: Five, apiculate apex; basal 10.0 mm fused forming calyx     tube; margin ciliolate; about 11.0 mm long and 1.0 mm across at     fusion; glabrous adaxial and abaxial; persistent; -   Sepal color: Adaxial and abaxial basal 2.0 mm nearest RHS 145D,     middle adaxial portion nearest RHS 145C and abaxial portion nearest     RHS 146D, distal 3.0 mm abaxial portion nearest RHS 181D with veins     nearest RHS 187B, and distal 3.0 mm adaxial portion nearest RHS 194C     with veins nearest RHS 186B, apiculate apices on both adaxial and     abaxial nearest RHS 187A; -   Foliar bracts: Typically one set of six large bracts on the outside     per inflorescence and one set of six smaller bracts in the middle     and one set of about 24 to 30 smaller narrow bracts on the inside     below each inflorescence; outer bracts lanceolate with acute apex     and attenuate sessile base, ciliolate margin, glabrous adaxial,     puberulent abaxial, flat to coarsely wavy, matte adaxial and     abaxial, to 44.0 mm long and 17.0 mm wide in middle, color adaxial     between RHS 187A and RHS N187A distally transitioning to nearest RHS     NN137B in middle and RHS 145B at base, midrib nearest RHS 64A, color     abaxial nearest RHS 137C; middle six bracts linear with narrowly     acute apex and truncate base, ciliolate margin, glabrous adaxial and     micro-puberulent abaxial, to about 18.0 mm long and 3.0 mm across     near middle, adaxial color distal nearest RHS 187A, middle portion     nearest RHS 64A and base nearest RHS145D, abaxial color nearest 146D     in middle with apex strongly blushed with RHS 187A and base nearest     RHS 145D; innermost bracts linear, narrowly acute apex and truncate     base, ciliolate margin, adaxial and abaxial glabrous, to about 10.0     mm long and 0.7 mm across at base, color adaxial and abaxial nearest     a blend between RHS 64A and RHS 187B; -   Peduncle: Pubescent, stiff, strong, erect, quadrangular; to about     3.0 mm across and average 45.0 mm long above node; about 70 per     plant; naturally branched at nodes; -   Peduncle color: Between RHS 146C and RHS 146D; -   Pedicel: About 2.0 mm long and 0.8 mm diameter; color nearest RHS     145B; -   Fruit: Single nutlet, elliptical, about 1.3 mm long and 0.7 mm wide;     color nearest RHS 200C; -   Hardiness: The new plant grows best with plenty of moisture and     adequate drainage; hardy to at least from USDA zone 4 through 8. -   Disease and pest resistance: Demonstrated greater than average     powdery mildew tolerance in side by side comparison with other     Monarda. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of hybrid ornamental Bee Balm plant, Monarda ‘Berry Taffy’, as herein described and illustrated. 